The above average temperature and sunshine of the past two days has brought the first butterfly out of hibernation, a Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).

With early signs of spring a week or so early this year too, Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) were all active on the same fully blossoming Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) tree.

My habit of the past few weeks of finding a decomposing fallen branch or tree trunk and peeling back a flap of its bark today yielded a Boreal Yellow-headed Soil Centipede (Geophilus flavus). The posted image also shows three different springtails. The largest (yet still just under 2mm), a blue-grey one seen bottom right is possibly a Moss Springtail (Neanura muscorum). These are reported as quite commonly associated with decaying wood. Next to this one and also on the left edge of the image are two of the same white springtail, with the third species also on the left margin of the image.

I also found a tree, which I believe to be a Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), covered on the north-facing side of its trunk with Gold Dust Lichen (Chrysothrix candelaris).

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